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.Dd $Mdocdate: October 20 2013 $
.Dt NLIST 3
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm nlist
.Nd retrieve symbol table name list from an executable file
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.In nlist.h
.Ft int
.Fn nlist "const char *filename" "struct nlist *nl"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The
.Fn nlist
function retrieves name list entries from the symbol table of an
executable file.
(See
.Xr elf 5 . )
The argument
.Fa \&nl
is set to reference the
beginning of the list.
The list is preened of binary and invalid data;
if an entry in the
name list is valid, the
.Fa n_type
and
.Fa n_value
for the entry are copied into the list
referenced by
.Fa \&nl .
No other data is copied.
The last entry in the list always has its
.Fa n_name
field set to
.Dv NULL .
.Sh RETURN VALUES
The number of invalid entries is returned if successful; otherwise,
if the file
.Fa filename
does not exist or is not an executable, the returned value is \-1.
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr elf 5
.Sh HISTORY
An
.Fn nlist
function first appeared in
.At v3 .
